As the summer approaches, many of us are looking forward to warmer climates, days by the beach, and basking in the sun.
However, for some, the warmer months are dreaded. As the heat rises, the air around us becomes dryer, pollen shedding becomes all the more common, and sandy beaches become a person’s worst nightmare.
If this sounds like you, you may be one of the 50 million Americans suffering from seasonal dry eye. Often exuberated in warmer conditions, dry eye has become an all too popular syndrome that sufferers must deal with on a daily basis.
The question is, could eyecare professionals now have a cure for dry eye irritation? There’s nothing worse than a burning sensation and blurry vision. So what if we told you that moisture chamber specs held the answer to your problems?
Stick with us as we delve into the benefits of moisture chamber specs for dry eye sufferers and talk more about a silent eyecare epidemic that is currently dominating the US.
A Dry Eye Epidemic
Dry eye disease is on the rise. According to Dry Eye Directory, Google trends surrounding the term ‘dry eye syndrome’ have all but doubled between 2010 and 2020.
As the global climate rises, so do the number of people living with dry eye. Caused by warmer, dry air pulling moisture from around the eyeball, dry eye sufferers live with blurred eyesight, the constant need to keep blinking, and stinging sensations when moving their eyes.
Most common amongst the older generation, dry eye now costs the US up to $54 billion each year.
“As we get older, the constitution of tears is just not quite as strong so the eyes become dry,” says optometrist Rosie Gavzey. “The eyes simply don’t produce enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly to moisten the cornea.”
While there are treatments in the form of eye drops readily available on the high street, could there be a way to prevent dry eye before it kicks in?
What Are The Symptoms?
Symptoms of dry eye are often hard to spot on the first inspection. Some sufferers describe dry eye as the feeling of having grit or sand in their eyes and can mistake dry eye for a foreign body.
(Image Source: See and Ben Seen)
However, for many people suffering from dry eye, other symptoms include:
- Watery eyes and blurry vision
- Red irritated eyeballs
- Tired eyes or fatigue
- Sensitivity to light
- A stinging or burning sensation when moving your eyes
- Irritation when wearing contact lenses
Are Moisture Chamber Specs The Answer?
In recent years, eyecare pioneers have released their newest pair of protective frames, otherwise known as moisture chamber specs.
So what are moisture chamber specs? Well, any glasses or sunglasses manufactured with a lining or shield that can fill a gap between the face and the frame can help enclose an eye and protect it from dry air. Wrapping around the face in the same way as sports specs, the ability to block wind, heat, and even air conditioning can aid the eye in producing more moisture in a humid environment.
Here are three essential benefits dry eye sufferers could enjoy when investing in moisture chamber specs:
Combatting Dry Eye
Moisture chamber specs not only combat the symptoms of dry eye but act as a preventive measure to fend off symptoms before they start.
In a recent study of over 100 dry eye patients, those who wore moisture chamber glasses for an extended period of time found that their dry eye symptoms not only decreased by more than 75%, but a whopping third of patients reported complete elimination of symptoms.
As popular brands such as Ziena and 7Eye release indoor and outdoor moisture chamber designs, it has never been easier to prevent dry eye during the summer months.
Benefiting Dry Eye’d Drivers
Dry eye drivers are also seeing significant benefits of moisture chamber specs. With the promise to provide symptom relief, 95% of drivers with dry eyes reported feeling higher levels of comfort when operating a vehicle and claimed that moisture chamber specs improved their video on the road.
Moisture chamber specs are also a game-changer for sporty dry eye sufferers too. For example, keen cyclists are twice as likely to suffer from dry eye when traveling at speed against drying winds. In the same way, as wrap-around sunglasses protect a motorcyclist’s vision outside, moisture chamber specs take it one step further by creating a protective shield around the eyes.
A Health-Conscious Fashion Statement
Last but not least, moisture chamber specs have become something of a health-conscious fashion statement in recent years.
While they were once described as ‘goggly,’ leading manufacturers have since created summertime specs that are stylish yet protective for dry eye sufferers. Coming in a range of shapes, sizes, and prescriptions, you can style moisture chamber specs in the same way you would style your sunglasses.
